Printing mechanism



Nov. 5, 1935. F. J. FURMAN 2,019,901

PRINTING MECHANISM Filed June 27, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR BY ATTORNEY N 1935- F. J. FURMAN 2,019,90

PRINTING MECHANISM F iled June 27, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 lllil'fillll I00 FIG. a.

INVENTOR BY ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 5, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PRINTING MECHANISM Application June 2'1, 1931, Serial No. 547,197

4 Claims.

The invention relates to printing machines and is more particularly directed to the provision of a machine in which printing may be effected with great rapidity and also in which a plurality of printing operations may be effected in extremely rapid succession.

In the recorder art, when applied in connection with such machines as accounting machines, adding machines, tabulating machines and the like, printing is usually effected by differentially displacing one ormore type carriers to one or more determined positions, then arresting the type carriers, thereafter taking an impression from all of them at once and afterwards restoring the machines in which printing is thus eflected simultaneously from a plurality of carriers the shock and impact necessary to obtain a clear impression subject the machine to excessive strain and either the printing becomes inaccurate or the machine is damaged.

The mechanism necessary to cause printing from all the carriers at one time requires a considerable portion of an operating cycle to function which constitutes a retarding factor to speedy operation.

The present embodiment in its preferred form contemplates a power actuated printing hammer individual to each type carrier. Coupling means is provided to couple the hammer to the driving means concurrently with the stopping of its associated carrier in differential printing position so that printing is effected immediately upon arrival of a selected type in printing position, obviating the loss of time and shock of impact heretofore present.

A further object of the invention resides in the provision of a zero printing mechanism. It is the custom in punching record cards for card controlled machines to place a perforation in each card column to minimize the risk of inadvertently omitting a significant figure and any column in which no significant figure or digit occurs is punched in the zero position. These zero perforations occur to the left of the first significant figure of a number as well as to the right of it but in printing numbers consisting of figures of several different denominational orders it is desirable to suppress the printing of all zeros to the left of the first significant figure while permitting the printing of all zeros to the right of this figure regardless of their position with respect to any other figure of the number.

The invention is illustrated by way of example it! 'in the accompanying drawings in which:

type carriers to normal position. y In the class of Fig. 1 shows the mechanical structure of-thc printing mechanism;

Fig. 2 shows the operating devices for the printing mechanism; and

Fig. 3 is a detail showing the zero printing con- 5 trol circuits. The device may be applied to a printing tabulator of the type disclosed in the patent to Daly and Page 1,762,145, issued June 10, 1930. Cards are fed successively pest upper analyzing brushes 10 and. lower analyzing brushes LB (Fig. 3) and as they pass the latter the items represented by their perforations may be entered into accumulators and also printed by printer magnets ill.

on a change in the group classification perfo- 15 rations the group control system interrupts accumulating and atotal taking operation may be initiated during which the printing of totals is also controlled by the printing magnets l0. These operations are well understood and fully ex- 20 plained in the patent referred to above.

Each card column contains ten index point positions differentially located to represent the ten digits and a different digit is represented by a perforation in each position. As the card passes 25 the lower brushes LB the position of its index points determines the time of closure of circuits ,through the analyzing brushes and the resulting current impulses may energize selected printer magnets I0 when the latter are properly plugged so to the lower analyzing brushes LB.

Referring now to Fig. 2 the listing shaft of the machine is shown at l2 and rotates constantly while the machine is listing and total printing at the rate of one revolution for each card cycle. A pair of complementary cams I4 coact with a double-arm follower lever I6 connected by link l8 and arm 20 to rock shaft 22. Zero printing shaft 24 and hammer actuating shaft 26 are also driven from shaft l2 through 40 train of gearing generally designated 28. Fixed to the rock shaft 22 (Fig. 1) is a rock lever 30 one of whose arms is connected by a link 32 to a bail 34 which rises and lowers in response to the rocking of lever 30. The bail 34 engages the 45 upper edge of an arm 36 pivoted at 38 and connected at its free end to type bar 40 through link 42. As the rock shaft 22 rocks during a printing cycle the ball 34 rises and all the arms 36 will be rocked in a clockwise direction through 50 the action of springs 44 connected thereto, thus elevating type carriers 40 to successively bring each type 46 into active printing position with respect to platen roll 48.

Any of the type 46 may be selected for print- 85 ing by arresting the type bar with the desired type 46 opposite the platen 46. This is accomplished by energization of the printing control magnet I6 which attracts its armature 66 and pulls a call wire 62 to the right releasing latch 64 and permitting a pawl 66 to be moved by its biasing spring 66 to engage with ratchet teeth integral with the type bar.

when the bar is thus engaged it will no longer follow the ball 64 in its upward movement but will remain stationary in the selected printing position until it is restored during the latter part of the cycle by the downward movement of the ball 64.

A printing hammer 66 is impelled against the selected type element 46 concurrently with the release of pawl 66 so that printing is effected immediately upon arrival of the selected character in printing position. This is effected in the following manner: Shaft 26 which is constantly driven from shaft I2 as explained is provided with a plurality of flutes or teeth 62 which are adapted to engage a tooth 64 in link 66 when the latter is depressed. Carried by link 66 is a spring pressed latch 66 cooperating with a vertical link I6 whose lower end is loosely connected to an arm of releasing latch 64. Upon counterclockwise rocking of latch 64 link 16 is drawn downwardly and through latch 66 will tilt link 66 in a clockwise direction about its pivot point on hammer 66 thus moving tooth 64 into engagement with one of the teeth 62 on shaft 26. Continued rotation of shaft 26 will draw link 66 to the right thereby positively impelling hammer 66 against type 46 to urge the latter against platen. 46. As link 66 is moved to the right latch 66 is moved out of cooperation with link 16 and the free end of link 66 engages a camming surface I2 which forces the link upwardly out of engagement with shaft 26 in which position it is retained by its spring 14. Release of link 66 from shaft 26 may take place just prior to the actual printing contact of type 46 with platen 46, the parts continuing to advance to complete the impression under their accumulated momentum. After printing, type 46 and hammer 66 will rebound to restored position aided by their individual springs 16 and 16 respectively.

After printing has taken place in the last type position pawls 66 and latches 64 are positively restored in the following manner: Refen'lng to Fig. 2 shaft I2 carries a roller arm 66 which is adapted to strike arm 62 and through link 64 rock shaft 66 in a clockwise direction. Shaft 66 carries bail 66 and has link connection to a bail 66 the parts being so proportioned that pawls 66 are restored in advance of the restoration of latches 54.

Type bar 46 is provided with nine ratchet teeth for selecting each of the nine digits. A fixed bar 4i serves as a zero positioning stop when enfl ed by the upper end of the toothed portion of the type bar. It is thus apparent that all type bars that are not intercepted to print a significant figure will advance to present their zero type to the printing line and such zeros may be printed in a marmer now to be explained.

Each type bar 46 carries a pin 62 which when the bar is in lowered or restored position engages an arm 64 pivoted at 66 and holds a brush 66 thereon out of engagement with commutator I66 carried by continually running shaft 24. As the bar rises through the several digit positions pin 62 moves upwardly toward an arm I62 pivoted at I64, permitting brush 66 to engage commutater I66. As the bar passes from the I to zero position pin 62 tilts arm I62, raising brush I66 from commutator I66 and lowering brush I66 thereon. At the same time commutator I66 will be in the position shown in Fig. 1 with the projections of its conducting ring adjacent to the several brushes.

The operation of this device will be clearer when explained in connection with a specific example. If the number 8002 is to be printed the 10 type bars 46 of the significant figures 6 and 2 will be arrested in the printing positions for these figures (see Fig. 3) and all the other type bars will have moved to zero printing position. In this particular number it is necessary to print 15 zeros from the two type bars to the right of the 6 and when such bars are at zero printing position the parts will occupy the relative positions indicated in Fig. 3. Printing magnets I6 of the 6 and 2 have previously been energized by circuits m extending from negative side of line through contacts II6, common contact bar II2, holes in the card, brushes LB, wires II4, magnets I6 to positive side of line I I6. At zero position of type bars 46 and commutators I66 current will flow from negative side of line through wire III, brush I66 of the leftmost position, conducting ring of commutator I66, brush 66, wire I26, magnet I6 of the next order to line II6. From line I26 the current will branch to brush I66 of the second position, commutator I66, brush 66, wire I 26 to the third magnet I6. The two central type .bars will thereupon have their hammers tripped in a familiar manner and zero printing will be effected. In a similar manner magnet I6 of the order furthest to the right will also be energized but since its type vhas already been interrupted at 2 this has no effect since link I6 and latch 66 have not been restored to normal latching position. 40

It is sometimes desirable to split a printing bank into several portions on each of which independent numbers may be printed and in this case the zero printing control circuit must be interrupted at the splitting point of the bank. This may be done by rocking an arm I22 (Fig. 1) in a counterclockwise direction thus causing its inner end to cam arm 64 to its clockwise position and hold it there. Where such splitting is effected it, will be apparent from an inspection of 5 Fig. 3 that the zero printing circuit will be interrupted at such point preventing either the initiation or extending of a zero printing operation through the locked unit.

The invention has now been described in con- 55 nection with a single embodiment but it is to be understood that this is for convenience of disclosure and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention. I intend to be limited only as indicated by the scope of the following claims:

1. In a printing mechanism, a constantly rotating actuator, a differentially positionable type bar having a plurality of type elements thereon, a printing hammer therefor, record card sensing 66 means and means controlled thereby for coupling said hammer to said actuator to cause printing from one of said type elements.

2. In a printing mechanism, a constantly rotating actuator, a differentially positionable type 70 bar having a plurality of type elements thereon. a printing hammer therefor, record card sensing means, means controlled thereby for coupling said hammer to said actuator to cause printing from one of said type elements, and means for u automatically uncoupling the hammer from said actuator after a single printing operation.

3. A printing apparatus comprising in combination a constantly rotating actuator, a plurality of difierentially positionable type carriers, a plurality of printing hammers cooperating therewith each selectively engageable with said actuator, means for moving said carriers past printing position, means for selectively stopping said carriers in any position and means for coupling a printing hammer to said actuator upon stopping of its associated carrier in printing position.

4. In a printing apparatus in combination with a plurality of printing hammers, a plurality ofmembers one for each hammer, a constantly driven actuator, means for coupling one or more of said members to said actuator for operation of its or their associated hammer and means for preventing a repeat operation of said members.

FRAN'KJ.FURMAN. 

